Diners know that a napkin serves a good purpose: touch the lips with it or protect the lap.

Well, honey bees occasionally use a napkin, too. A recent sun break--blue skies, 70-degree temperatures, no rain--resulted in honey bees foraging for water on a rain-soaked napkin on the patio.

They came in twos to stand on the napkin to sip water.

"Water foragers tend to forage at the water source nearest to their colony," writes honey bee expert Norman Gary, emeritus professor of apiculture at UC Davis, in his recently published book, Honey Bee Hobbyist: The Care and Keeping of Bees (BowTie Press).

"Minerals, salts, gases, organic compounds from organisms in the water and other unknown elements influence the bees' preference of water sources," he wrote. "Only the bees know the secret ingredients that determine their choices; otherwise bees would be able to create super-attractive watering holes with special flavors to lure bees away from swimming-pool decks, drinking fountains and birdbaths, where they are sometimes perceived as a problem by beekeepers."

All honey bees are welcome in our yard--with or without a napkin.

Honey Bee on Napkin

HONEY BEE sips water from a rain-soaked napkin. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Sipping Water

CLOSE-UP of honey bee sipping water from a soaked napkin. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)